2009 Mobile World Congress numbers are here

The Mobile World Congress is over and GSMA announced this year's numbers. Without further ado, here they come: More than 47,000 visitors from 189 countries attended the 2009 GSMA Mobile World Congress. 50% of all the attendees hold C-level positions, including more than 2,800 CEOs. 1,300 companies exhibited at the event, occupying more than 57,000 square metres of exhibition and hospitality space ― a footprint 11% larger than that of the previous year. (recession anyone?) Nearly 2,400 international print, web and broadcast media attended the event. The official press release ends with the announcement for the Mobile World Congress' sister event, the Mobile Asia Congress, which will take place in Hong Kong in Autumn of this year… Related News from IntoMobile: Mobile World Congress in numbers Nelly Furtado to perform in Mumbai on New Year's eve at Nokia's party Robert Redford coming to Mobile World Congress

AnyDATA unveils its Windows Mobile offering for CDMA carriers Posted: 22 Feb 2009 03:32 PM PST AnyDATA used the Mobile World Congress to unveil its Windows Mobile smartphones, designed for CDMA carriers. Three devices were announced and we'll briefly talk about each one of them. Let's start: First comes the ASP-505A, which will be marketed by Russia's leading CDMA operator - Skylink. The device runs on 450Mhz CDMA EVDO Rev A technology, and among other things sports a touchscreen, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and camera. In addition to CDMA version, AnyDATA is also working on an HSDPA-based device that will operate on Windows Mobile 6.5. Then there's the ASP-210C, a QWERTY keyboard-equipped smartphone, that is made to work on CDMA 1x 800 Mhz networks. Specs wise, there's Bluetooth, FM radio and media player, while Windows Mobile 6.1 is running the show. Finally, AnyDATA introduced the ASP-535D that operates at 800 and 1900 Mhz frequencies on CDMA 1x EV-DO Rev. A networks. It features a sleek, stylish design, sporting such things as GPS receiver, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity support, QWERTY keyboard, and the UI based on the newly announced Windows Mobile 6.5. Before we go, it's important to add that in addition to smartphones, AnyDATA also provides modems, GPS tracking devices, and turnkey tracking services to mobile operators… Related News from IntoMobile: Softbank announces Toshiba X02HT and X01H Windows Mobile 6.0 Smartphones OxyCube 1.3 is out! HP unveils iPAQ Data Messenger and iPAQ Voice Messenger

ABI Research: Cellular modem shipments exceeded 35 million in 2008 Posted: 22 Feb 2009 03:20 PM PST ABI Research's findings suggest that the cellular modems for laptops and netbooks reached more than 35 million shipments last year. Of that total, the majority were the external USB modems mobile operators have been pushing for some time. In addition, the growth has been also bolstered as mobile operators bundled USB modems with netbooks in subsidized price plans. There were also about 3.5 million embedded modems, built into the computers. Philip Solis, ABI's principal analyst, says that after years of slow growth, the embedded cellular modem market is starting to show signs of life. "ABI Research expects that, building on a good showing of 3.5 million units in 2008, shipments of embedded modems will more than double in 2009," he added. Qualcomm (NSDQ: QCOM) and Ericsson have been targeting the embedded modem market directly, positioning their products very competitively against each other. Operators around the world, especially in Western Europe, are subsidizing USB modems and offering premium data plans that include free netbook or laptop offering equipped with embedded modems. However, the global recession is set to have an impact on the market. In that sense, ABI Research has lowered its overall forecasts for the cellular modem market for 2009. This doesn't mean shipment rates won't keep growing, quite the contrary ― it's the slower pace we'll see this year. More information about ABI's report titled "Cellular PC Card Market Data" is available from their website. Related News from IntoMobile: ABI Research: Cellular modem industry will exceed 200 million units by 2013 Dell Inspiron Mini 9 now available with built-in AT&T 3G! ABI Research on LTE: From zero to 32 million subscribers in three years

FISHLABS joins the N-Gage Posted: 22 Feb 2009 03:14 PM PST Nokia (NYSE: NOK)'s mobile gaming initiative just got stronger for an additional partner. It's FISHLABS, which wowed to bring its games to all the N-Gage users around the world. As part of the deal, we should expect to see FISHLABS releasing many its popular titles for the platform. Among the games that are announced for this year are Powerboat Challenge, Rally Master Pro and Snowboard Hero; followed by Galaxy on Fire and Blades & Magic in early 2010. All titles will be improved in terms of graphics and sound quality and will be enhanced with additional features. Nokia is obviously proud to have FISHLABS on board. The company's director of Third Party Games Publishing, Gregg Sauter, said: "FISHLABS' portfolio of multiple award-winning games is especially popular with core gamers and, thanks to the superior performance of the N-Gage platform; Nokia will be able to win over many fans of FISHLABS as well as new gamers for N-Gage." Related News from IntoMobile: N-Gage Game Shop Glu Mobile and Nokia announce collaboration to bring Glu games to N-Gage platform Zombies on my mobile? Capcom coming to N-Gage

China-based KongZhong gets money from Nokia Growth Partners Posted: 22 Feb 2009 03:11 PM PST China-based KongZhong Corporation announced that it has reached a non-binding agreement with Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Growth Partners to receive an investment of about $6.8 million in 5-year convertible senior notes. In addition, Nokia's venture arm would also receive warrants to purchase an additional 2 million American Depositary Shares (ADS) at $5.0 per ADS, exercisable within five years. From the press release: The convertible senior notes would initially pay an annual interest of 8% subject to reduction to 6% based on the financial performance of the Company. The conversion price would equal the average closing price per share of the Company's ordinary shares for a period of 75 trading days prior to the date of this announcement. The notes would mature in five years and could be prepaid at the Company's option after three years. The transaction is subject to completion of definitive documentation. Commenting on the announcement, Nokia Growth Partners' Paul Asel: "KongZhong is a premier mobile entertainment company. Our investment reflects the belief in the leading role KongZhong can take as China embarks on 3G mobile services." Related News from IntoMobile: Virgin Mobile USA completes acquisition of Helio Nokia Growth Partners invests in Chinese mobile advertising network - Madhouse Nokia wants to get out of the Stockholm Stock Exchange

Better Energy Systems unveils solar-powered handsfree car kit at MWC Posted: 22 Feb 2009 03:07 PM PST Better Energy Systems is the company we've already covered in the past and during the recently ended Mobile World Congress, they've unveiled their latest baby. It's called Solio Communicator and it's a handsfree car kit, designed to be mounted on the visor. As expected, the device connects to a mobile phone via Bluetooth and is ideal for those living in sunny areas like Spain. Of course, the Solio Communicator comes with its own Li-Ion battery, allowing it work even by night, when there's no Sun around. The battery is automatically charged using the power of the Sun, but you can also add juice to it through USB. As for other information about the Solio Communicator, you may also want to know that it weighs only 150 grams and that there's a hi-fi directional microphone under the hood, which should provide maximum clarity while making or receiving a call. Finally, let's talk about the availability. Better Energy Systems said their new handsfree kit will hit the market in mid-2009 and will cost 80 EUR (79.99 to be more precise). [Via: Renewbl] Related News from IntoMobile: Solio Hybrid 1000 - portable, solar charging for your phone Vero ENB-100 - The World's First Solar Powered Bluetooth Portable Car Kit Better Energy Systems to unveil its Solio Mono multi-device charger at Mobile World Congress

Forum Nokia announces winners of Calling All Innovators competition Posted: 22 Feb 2009 02:57 PM PST Forum Nokia (NYSE: NOK) announced the final winners in its global "Calling All Innovators" contest for mobile applications and solutions to help improve the quality of life on the planet. Nearly 1,000 developers from 57 countries who submitted mobile applications were narrowed to 11 finalists in January: ECO-Challenge - apps and solutions designed to help minimize mobility's global environmental impact and enable users to make sustainable lifestyle choices: Grand Prize: GreenDrive (Israel) 1st Place: TigerMap (China) 2nd Place: Ticketek Mobile Ticketing (Argentina) Runner-up: Green Phone (India) Emerging Markets - New mobile solutions to improve the daily lives of millions in developing nations, focused on areas such as education, health data access, infotainment and agriculture. Grand Prize: Nano Ganesh (India) 1st Place: mPedigree (Ghana) 2nd Place: DigitallCS (Digital Internal Control System) (Mexico) Technology Showcase - Applications using Flash Lite, Java, Python, open source or other technologies supported by Series 40 or S60 devices that create a compelling end-user experience for individuals or communities: Grand Prize: X Dancery (China) 1st Place: kReader Mobile (U.S.) 2nd Place: Neuscreen (Thailand) Runner-up: PhotoMap (Germany) In the next round of Calling All Innovators, Forum Nokia is challenging developers to create applications that will enhance the use of mobile devices in real-world scenarios, in the following categories: Internet Innovation (conducted in tandem with Nokia's Widget Design Competition) Flash Emerging Markets Application submissions will remain open through 30 June, at the official website, from where you can also get all the details… Related News from IntoMobile: Nokia S60 3rd Edition Challenge winners announced Forum Nokia S60 3rd Edition Challange Forum Nokia S60 3rd Edition Challange

PointRoll iPhone-izes its rich media advertising offering Posted: 22 Feb 2009 02:45 PM PST Rich media advertising provider, PointRoll, announced expanded distribution partners to run its rich media ads on the Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) iPhone. Among the web publishers involved are such website as ESPN, AOL's Platform-A, Millennial Media, and USA TODAY ― which in total should deliver over half a billion impressions each month on the iPhone. According to PointRoll's press release, their technology permits advertisers to reach users with interactive content such as video, data collection, send to a friend, tap to call and more. This is all done without requiring the iPhone user to download any applications, yet many of the features from the desktop/computer environment still apply… More information about PointRoll's offering can be found on their website. Related News from IntoMobile: AdMob announces new iPhone 3G advertising solutions along with $1 million iPhone developers fund VideoEgg joins the iPhone advertising wave Cellfire launches Cellfire 3.0 mobile coupons service

ZTE extends its partnership with T-Mobile for handsets and data cards Posted: 22 Feb 2009 02:39 PM PST /China-based ZTE announced that it has established a cooperation with T-Mobile (NYSE: DT) for handsets and data card devices for mobile applications. The two companies declared a new strategic partnership spanning all the European markets of T-Mobile. The signing of the so called General Framework Agreement (GFA) emphasizes the intention to strengthen the cooperation between T-Mobile and the Chinese telecoms equipment provider, representing a contract framework that spans the whole handling of a project and the possible adjustments of ZTE's mobile products for the Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DT)-owned operator. The latest move by ZTE goes in line with the company's long lasting relationship with Deutsche Telekom, which [relationship] has been stepped up considerably in the last few months. That was the reason why ZTE has opened a new office in Bonn… Related News from IntoMobile: T-Mobile Germany announces MDA Ameo 16 GB HTC Touch coming soon to T-Mobile UK as Touch Plus T-Mobile coming to BlackBerry 8820 on March 5th?

ReCellular reports 2008 numbers: 35% growth year over year Posted: 22 Feb 2009 02:34 PM PST We love ReCellular and their ongoing efforts to increase the availability and consumer awareness of mobile phone recycling. That being said, we're glad to see their last year numbers: in total the company has collected and processed 5.5 million phones for reuse and recycling in 2008, a 35% increase year-over-year. And here are some other interesting highlights from ReCellular's 2008 report: Mentioned 5.5 million phones collected weigh as much as three Boeing 747-400s The company's donate-a-phone programs raised $4 million for charitable causes and grassroots organizations, from local Boy Scout troops to the national "Cell Phones for Soldiers" program ReCellular's 102 point data-removal process deleted an average of 5 MB of information per handset, totaling in about 10 terabytes of personal contacts, e-mail, photos and financial information from donated phones 1.2 million pounds of materials, including handsets, batteries, phone chargers and accessories, and paper and plastic shipping materials have been recycled 21,000 pounds of copper, 954 pounds of silver, and 96 pounds of gold from recycled circuit boards and electronics accessories have been reclaimed It's good to see ReCellular's numbers growing as more people learn about mobile phone recycling… More information about ReCullular's 2008 Report is available from this page. Related News from IntoMobile: Verizon Wireless releases HopeLine program numbers: 5 million phones, 180 million minutes ReCellular raises $15 million in a Series A funding Nokia: Only 3% of people recycle their mobile phones

Gameloft brings 20 games to Android Market Posted: 22 Feb 2009 02:27 PM PST As expected, with the launch of the paid apps support, big developers have started bringing their applications and games to the Android Market. One of the first companies to embrace Google (NSDQ: GOOG)'s platform is Gameloft, which obviously has been working round the clock to port its portfolio to Android. As a result, they've released a total of 20 games to the Android Market. Among the titles there are such popular titles as Derek Jeter Pro Baseball 2009, Oregon Trail and CSI:Miami. It's a big thing for the Android ecosystem to have such big game developer as Gameloft on board, and now when the gates are wide open, I've no doubts other developers will follow with similar moves. Commenting on the announcement, the company's senior VP, Gonzague de Vallois, said: "We believe in the potential of Android Market, both in terms of content and accessibility. We will continue to support this platform any way we can." Related News from IntoMobile: Gameloft showed first native iPhone game at GDC 2008? Google's Android Market officially announced EA Mobile releases Tetris for Android; Bejeweled and Monopoly coming within days/weeks

Vodafone Prepping Hundreds of Job Cuts in the UK Posted: 22 Feb 2009 12:12 PM PST Vodafone is reportedly getting ready to announce several hundred job cuts within its UK division. The cut announcements could come as early as this Tuesday. The news comes via anonymous sources at Bloomberg. Their sources did not want to be identified. When questioned on the matter, Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) spokesman Simon Gordon declined to comment (of course). From a similar report at Cellular News: The UK division has under performed the rest of its European operations, having turned in a margin on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of 23.2 percent in the six months ended Sept. 30. In Germany, Vodafone's biggest market, the margin was 44 percent and in Italy 44.9 percent. Vodafone Chief Executive Officer, Vittorio Colao warned earlier this month that there could be some job cuts as part of a company wide plan to reduce costs by an annualized 1 billion pounds by 2011. The company had approximately 72,000 staff worldwide at the end of June 2008, the most recent figure available from their Investor service. Unfortunately this is just another sign of the times. The job cuts seem to keep coming, and coming… and coming. When will it stop? [Via: Cellular-News] Related News from IntoMobile: AT&T Cutting 12,000 Jobs To Cope With Economic Downturn Sony Ericsson posts massive profit decline, cutting 2,000 jobs Motorola CEO Zander steps down to make way for COO Brown's reign